Pipe tight all

ABSTRACT

A wrench for grasping pipes and tightening the same, the wrench including a hollow handle with an electric motor therein that is powered externally by means of an extension cord and plug leading from the handle, the motor driving rotationally a pair of toothed rollers between which there is a saddle into which a pipe is fitted for being rotated by the toothed rollers, the pipe being held tightly against the two toothed rollers by means of a swivel linked belt that carries freely rotatable rollers bearing against the surface of the pipe.

- O Umted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,774,481

Goodman Nov. 27, 1973 [54] TIGHT ALL FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS[76] Inventor Earl Gwdman, 3, Marshville, 860,013 1 1971 Canada 81/5729[22] Filed; J 21, 1971 Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr.Attorney-Channing L. Richards, et a1. [21] Appl. No.: 108,337

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl]. 8l/57.213, 81/57.17, 81/5729 A wrench forgrasping pipes and tightening the Same, [51] C B 5b 17/00 Bzsb 21/00 thewrench including a hollow handle with an electric le d 0 Sean l, 57.12,motor he e that is p e e externally means of 8l/57'l3 5729 an extensioncord and plug leading from the handle, the motor driving rotationally apair of toothed rollers [56] References C'ted between which there is asaddle into which a pipe is UNITED STATES PATENTS fitted for beingrotated by the toothed rollers, the pipe 3,016,775 1/1962 Calkins81/57.13 being held tightly against the two toothed rollers by 2,400,7125/19 6 Prathel' 6t l/57- means of a swivel linked belt that carriesfreely rotat- 2,746,329 1956 Paget able rollers bearing against thesurface of the pipe. 3,521,509 7/1970 Duke et a1. 81/57.17 2,576,20311/1951 Wilson 81/57.15

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1ATENTEDNUV271975 3774.481

sum 2 a? PIPE TIGHT ALL This invention relates generally to hand tools.More specifically the present invention relates to wrenches such as areused for providing leverage in gripping objects such as pipes.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a wrench thatis specifically designed for grasping screw pipes and which mayaccordingly be used for tightening or loosening screw pipe connections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a specific wrenchtermed as a pipe tight all, and which is designed to operate five or sixtimes as fast as a conventional wrench.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe tightall which is electrically driven so as to minimize the physical effortfor an operator in tightening or loosening a screw pipe connection.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe tightall which is designed for handling screw pipe up to two inches indiameter.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a pipe tight allwhich is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the present invention and shown in anopen position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view thereof with a pipe secured therein;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the same plane as FIGS. 1 and2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation view showing a modified design ofthe invention wherein a toothed endless belt engages around the pipe soto give a larger frictional grasp thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a similar view shown partly in cross-section and illustratingstill another modified design thereof wherein a larger frictional graspis provided for the pipe on only one side thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly at thistime toFIGS. 1 through 3, the reference numeral represents a pipe tightall wrench, according to the present invention, wherein there is anassembly 11 which incorporates a working head 12 at one end of alongitudinally extending handle 13.

The head and handle comprise a hollow housing 14 which may be comprisedof a pair of light housing shells secured together so as to contain aworking mechanism 15 therebetweem Within the interior of the handle 13,there is located an electric motor 17 and an electric switch 18. Theelectric switch 18 being provided with an outwardly extending switchlever 19. The motor 17 and the switch 18 are connected together by meansof electrical wiring 20 and which also communicates with an electricextension cord 21 extending outwardly of the handle 13, and at itsopposite end is provided with a male plug, not shown, for insertion intoa femaleelectric outlet socket for maintaining electrical power.

The motor 17 has a motor shaft 22 having a worm 23 secured thereto. Theworm engages a worm gear 24 secured to a shaft 25 upon which there isalso secured a first spur gear 26. The spur gear 26 toothingly engages asecond and third spur gear 27 and 28 secured upon shafts 29 and 30respectively.

Shafts 25, 29 and 30 are supported at their opposite ends withinbearings formed in the housing 11 at the head end of the tool. Theshafts 29 and 30 each has either a smooth or toothed roller 31 and 32secured thereto.

A pipe 33 intended to be rotated by said present tool is seated in asaddle fonned between the rollers 31 and 32 so that the peripheral sidesof the roller engages the outerside of the pipe 33, as shown in FIG. 3.

In order to maintain frictional engagement of the pipe 33 with thesurfaces of the rollers 31 and 32, there is provided a holding mechanism34 comprised of a swivel link belt 35 which is supported pivotally freeat its one end upon a pin 36 secured to the housing I l, the oppositeend of the swivel link belt being connected pivotally free by means of apin 37 to a vise lever 38, the lever 38 being provided with a tooth 39selectively engageable with one of a plurality of locking grooves 40.The grooves 40 are integrally formed on the head 12 of the housing 11.

Along the swivel link belt 35 there are secured a plurality oftransverse extending rollers 41 rotatably free and which serve to forcethe pipe 33 into the jaw or saddle between the rollers 31 and 32 so thatthe pipe 33 is in engagement with the rollers.

The rollers 41 are freely rotatable and supported upon pins 42. Thepresent tool is provided with a convenient handle 43 comprised of agrasp handle or grasping bar for one hand of the operator, there beingprovided a second grasping bar 44 secured to the housing 11 relativelycloser to the working head 12.

In operative use, it is now evident that a pipe 33 can be readily placedinto the saddle between the rollers 31 and 32 after which the swivellink belt is pivotally closed over the opposite end of the pipe 33 so tourge the same against the rollers 31 and 32.

This is accomplished by simply locking the tooth 39 of the vise lever 38in the appropriate locking groove 40, and then flipping the switch lever19, thus causing the motor 17 to drive the mechanism 15 which thuscauses the pipe 33 to rotate while the operating is holding the handle13 of the tool steadily.

Thus there is provided a pipe tight all which saves on effort byutilizing electrical power and which thus permits a workman toaccomplish five to six times as much work as a conventional pipe wrench.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawing, there is shown a pipe tight all43 which includes a mechanism 44 wherein there is a worm 45 secured on amotor shaft 46, the worm engaging a worm gear 47 secured on the shaft 48supported in bearings formed on the housing 49. The shaft 48 has atoothed roller 50 secured thereto, the toothed roller 50 having anendless toothed belt 51 passed therearound and also around a secondtoothed roller 52.

The endless toothed belt 51 may however be opened by means of removing atransverse pin 53, thus separating the opposite ends of the belt 51 soto permit extending the belt around a pipe 33 which is intended to berotated during a screwing or unscrewing operation.

The pipe 33 rests in a saddle 54 formed between two rollers 56 mountedrotatably free upon pins 56 secured to opposite sides of the housing 49.

It is to be noted that the teeth of the belt 51 bear against the outerside of the pipe 33 for frictionally grasping the same and rotating it.In order to accomplish a firm hold of the teeth against the pipe 33, the

belt is tightened by means of the roller 52 being freely rotatable abouta pin 57 carried in a slide block 58 slideable within a slot 59 of thehousing 49.

The block 58 is selectively slideable by means of a screw 60 threadinglyengaged within a threaded opening 61 of the slide block 58. Thus byrotating the head 62 of the screw 60, the slide block 58 can be movedoutwardly so to move the roller 52 outwardly and thus provide tension onthe belt 51.

Thus one modified form of the invention is shown so to provide increasedfrictional grasp by the mechanism upon the pipe 33 so to cause the pipeto rotate.

Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawing, there is shown another modifieddesign of pipe tight all 63 which is a cross between the structure shownin FIG. 3 and the structure shown in FIG. 4 and which accordinglyincorporates the driving mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4 and whichincorporates the swivel link belt holding structure shown in FIG. 3.

In the present mechanism, however, there is further included an endlessbelt 64 which is passed around the rollers 50 and 52 which in this caseneed not necessarily be toothed but may be smooth surfaced. The pipe 33now sits in a saddle 65 formed between the rollers 50 and S2 and acrosswhich the belt 64 travels.

The pipe therefore is rotated due to the traveling of the belt 64 aroundthe rollers 50 and 52.

Thus a further modified form of the invention is presented, it beingnoted that each form of the present invention has particular advantagesover the other for specific uses.

What I now claim is:

l. A self-powered pipe wrench comprising a housing, an electric drivemotor mounted in said housing, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted insaid housing for rotation about parallel axes, means driven by saidmotor for r0- tating said rollers, a strap for engaging and retaining apipe in position for rotation with its axis parallel with the axes ofthe rollers, said strap having one end secured to the housing andextending outwardly over said rollers and a positioned pipe, the otherend of said strap being releasably secured to said housing so as to beopenable to receive a pipe for engagement and to retain the pipe againstmovement away from said rollers upon subsequent closing, and meansdrivingly connecting the peripheries of said rollers with the peripheryof the pipe to impart rotation to the pipe in response to rotation ofsaid rollers.

2. A self-powered pipe wrench according to claim 1 and characterizedfurther in that said other end of said strap is adjustably secured tosaid housing to accommodate pipes of different diameters.

3. A self-powered pipe wrench according to claim 2 and characterizedfurther in that said strap carries a plurality of rollers positioned forcontact with a pipe to allow pipe rotation during engagement thereof.

1. A self-powered pipe wrench comprising a housing, an electric drivemotor mounted in said housing, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted insaid housing for rotation about parallel axes, means driven by saidmotor for rotating said rollers, a strap for engaging and retaining apipe in position for rotation with its axis parallel with the axes ofthe rollers, said strap having one end secured to the housing andextending outwardly over said rollers and a positioned pipe, the otherend of said strap being releasably secured to said housing so as to beopenable to receive a pipe for engagement and to retain the pipe againstmovement away from said rollers upon subsequent closing, and meansdrivingly connecting the peripheries of said rollers with the peripheryof the pipe to impart rotation to the pipe in response to rotation ofsaid rollers.
 2. A self-powered pipe wrench according to claim 1 andcharacterized further in that said other end of said strap is adjustablysecured to said housing to accommodate pipes of different diameters. 3.A self-powered pipe wrench according to claim 2 and characterizedfurther in that said strap carries a plurality of rollers positioned forcontact with a pipe to allow pipe rotation during engagement thereof.